Collaborative Artists Bloc produces accessible, empowering theater that engages our constituents as artists, audiences, and cultural change makers. Our programming presents the diverse, untold stories of the underserved Black and Brown communities of South Los Angeles. There is an urgent need, long neglected by mainstream cultural institutions, for marginalized communities to see themselves and their lived experiences reflected in the arts. CAB productions are written, developed, and performed by artists of color. These works address the communities of South LA as audiences and assert unequivocally the richness and vitality of stories that center Black and Brown lives.

We bring theater directly to our targeted communities with shows that are both financially and geographically accessible. Our outreach and engagement initiatives are designed to invite Black and Brown South LA communities into the experience of theater, with shows staged both in these communities’ own neighborhoods (far from the city’s mainstream arts centers) and in arts-centric neighborhoods like West Hollywood, where we create a welcome space for historically marginalized stories and audiences. Productions span a range of event types including fully staged plays, free readings and virtual events, and community fundraisers, providing varied engagement opportunities for people of different income levels and interests. Through neighborhood canvassing in Watts, pay-what-you-can tickets, post-show talkbacks led by community artists and activists, robust social media interaction, and voter registration at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, we make our programming accessible and inviting to low-income, BIPOC, and queer audiences. In 2022, we also hosted a scholarship-eligible educational acting workshop to foster creative growth and expression for BIPOC artists. These unique and customized theater experiences offer diverse pathways for community members to access the truth-telling, culture-shifting power of the arts.